A roofing company in Minnesota has agreed to pay $71,500 to American Indian, African-American and Hispanic employees to settle a harassment and retaliation complaint.

The employees of Herzog Roofing were subject to repeated racial epithets, racial jokes and hostile treatment, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said. An investigation found that the employee who complained about the treatment was fired.

“Herzog now understands that it is not enough for an employer to have an anti-discrimination policy.," Julie Schmid, acting director of the EEOC’s Minneapolis Area Office, said in a press release."The employer must enforce the policy and take preventive and corrective action to effectively fulfill its statutory obligation to maintain a workplace free of discrimination, including harassment.”

Herzog is located in Detroit Lakes, near the White Earth Reservation.

Get the Story:
Racist environment for workers proves costly for longtime Minn. roofer (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 6/8)
Detroit Lakes roofing company settles racial harassment charge (AP 6/7)